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With a lethal combination of slugging and pitching on display, Andrean rolled to the title, the sixth in school history – all under long-time head coach Dave Pishkur.

The 59ers (31-6) started slow, but scored twice in the third inning and added four more in the fourth to take command. First baseman Joe Rycerz had the big blow in the fourth inning as he belted the only homerun of the weekend – a blast over the left field fence at Victory Field.

All told, Andrean had six extra-base hits in the contest – three doubles, two triples and Rycerz’s round-tripper.

Doolin, a junior who has committed to Vanderbilt University, did the rest. He allowed just three hits and struck out 13 en route to the complete game. He only ran into difficulty in the seventh inning, as the Dragons loaded the bases with no out, eventually scoring on a Stephen Davis sacrifice fly.

Doolin struck out each Silver Creek hitter at least once. He finished the season 11-1.

Sammy Barnett had two of the three hits for coach Joe Decker’s Dragons, who finish 26-4.

In its seven-game tournament run, the 59ers outscored opponents 63-9, with only one margin of victory (a 2-1 regional final win over defending 3A champ South Bend Saint Joseph) closer than the title game.

Pishkur now has 978 victories in his 39-year career (all at Andrean). That is second-best all-time in state history to the late Ken Schreiber’s 1,010 recorded at LaPorte. Pishkur’s six state titles is one off the state best, held by Schreiber and Lafayette Central Catholic’s Tim Bordenet.

Silver Creek’s Sammy Barnett named Mental Attitude recipient 
Following the game, members of the IHSAA Executive Committee announced Sammy Barnett Silver Creek High School as the winner of this year’s L.V. Phillips Mental Attitude Award in Class 3A Baseball.

Sammy completed high school with a 3.8 GPA.  He is a senior class officer and a member of the National Honor Society. He graduated magna cum laude, and was Academic All-State for basketball. 

He takes part in Ozone Club and is a member of the YFCA at Silver Creek. In addition, he volunteers at basketball camps, has taking a missions trip to Tennessee to help provide food and water to families in need, and assisted people in his community with yardwork and other household activities. In addition to baseball, Sammy participated in basketball all four years.

Sammy is the son of Donna and Eddue Barnett of Sellersburg, Indiana.  He will be continue playing baseball at Indiana University and study exercise science.

The award is annually presented to an outstanding senior participant in each state championship game who has best demonstrated excellence in mental attitude, scholarship, leadership and athletic ability in baseball. The award is named in honor of the late L.V. Phillips, who served as the second commissioner of the IHSAA from 1945-62.

Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance, the IHSAA's corporate partner, presented $1,000 to Silver Creek High School’s general scholarship fund in the name of Sammy Barnett.